per
cent. more dynamite," Reade decided.

The men brought up the drill and set it, after which the engineer
was signaled.

Harry, in the meantime, was down on his hands and knees, curiously
turning over the small, loose bits of rock.

"Stung, if this stuff proves anything," sighed Hazelton.

"You can't judge by one handful, Harry," Tom told him. "Besides,
we may have to get down twenty, or even fifty feet below surface
before we strike any pay-stuff. Don't look for dividends in the
first hour. I've been told that gold-mining calls for more sporting
blood than any other way in which wealth can be pursued."

"But I don't find a bit of color in this stuff," Harry muttered.
"If we're on the top of a vein of gold it seems to me that we
ought to find a small speck of yellow here and there."

A dozen blasts were made that morning. When the men knocked off
at noon Harry Hazelton's face bore a very serious expression.

"Tom," he murmured to his partner, "I'm afraid we have a gold brick
of a gold mine."

"It's an even chance," nodded Reade.

"And think of all the money---out of our savings---we've sunk
in this thing."

"I hope you're not going to get scared as early as this," protested
Tom. "Why, before we even get in sight of pay-rock we may have
to sink every dollar of our savings."

"Then hadn't we better get out of it early, and go to work for
some one who pays wages?" questioned Hazelton.

"Yes," Tom shot out, quickly, "if that's the way you feel about it."

"But do you feel differently, Tom?"

"I'm willing to risk something, for the sake of drawing what may
possibly turn out to be the big prize in the mining lottery."

"But all our savings," cried Harry, aghast. "That seems like
a foolish risk, doesn't it?"

"If you say so, I'll draw out now," Tom proposed.

"What do you think about it?"

"If all the money at stake were mine," Reade said slowly, "then
I'd hang on as long as I had a penny left to invest."

"Tom Reade, I believe you're turning gambler at heart!"

"I intend to be a good, game business man, if that's what you
mean by gambling. But see here, Harry, I don't want to pull your
money into this scheme if you feel that you'd rather hold on to
what you have."

"If you're going to stay in, Tom, then so am I. I'm not the kind
of fellow to go back on a chum's investment."

"But if we lose all we've saved then you'll feel-----"

"Don't argue any more, Tom," begged Hazelton. "I'm goin